Finding Consultancy Opportunities and Winning Contracts

Strategy for Finding Consultancy Opportunities
and Preparing Good Quality Submissions

Steven Gillard, Senior Advisor, Consultancy
Services Unit

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Sources of Information on Consultancy
opportunities

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How to Get Started –
Be Up to Date & Do Your Research
Project-related information available under
www.ebrd.com. An excellent source of information
on upcoming work:
(1) Project Summary Documents (with references to
required TC):
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/project/psd.shtml

(2) Environmental & Social Impact Assessments:
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/project/eia.shtml
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Project Summary List (extract)

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Extract from a Project Summary
Document (edited)

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Assess Consulting Opportunities

(1) Procurement Notices for Consultancy
Assignments are published on:
http://www.ebrd.com/saf/search.html?type=procure
ment_notice&contract=Consultancy%20Services

(2) Subscribe to Email alerts via eSelection
https://eselection.ebrd.com/suite/

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Procurement Notices

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Procurement Notice

Procurement
Notice

Sign-up for
Email alerts!

8


Subscribe to eSelection System

eSelection
for
Consultants

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Web-based eSelection: Benefits for
Consultants
l Ensures transparency, efficiency, level playing field and
cost reductions as a result of on-line submissions
l Consultants can:
(i) Subscribe for electronic notification about new
opportunities by industry sector and area of expertise to
increase competition
(ii) Submit expressions of interest & proposals (including
financial proposals) on-line/electronically
(iii) View the status of application, manage participation in
selection processes and monitor the progress of any
selection process
10


eSelection -
https://eselection.ebrd.com/suite/
Register here

Click here to view Send a query or Sends email with link to
procurement notices request assistance reset password
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New to the EBRD?

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Be Up to Date & Do Your Research
Information relevant for consultants available under
ww.ebrd.com:
(1) Award/shortlist notices
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement/reports.shtml
(2) Guidelines for Clients managing Technical Cooperation Funded
Consultancy Assignments (English and Russian)
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement/consultancy.shtml
(3) EBRD’s Procurement Policies and Rules
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/research/publications/policies/procurement.sht
ml

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EBRD Contract award notices/shortlists
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement/consultancy.shtml

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Strategy for Winning Contracts –
Basics
l Consider focussing on smaller assignments
awarded via Direct Selection or Selection from
Shortlist first (the first contract with EBRD enables
you to demonstrate your excellence)
l Be selective. Do you have any
comparative/competitive advantage (e.g. expertise
in the region, relevant linguistic skills)?

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Build Experience & Capacity
The EBRD’s Small Business Support (SBS)
team seeks individual advisors to provide
assistance to micro, small and medium-sized
enterprises:
(1) Enterprise Growth Programme (EGP)
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/sbs/how/egp.sh
tml
(2) Business Advisory Services (BAS)
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/sbs/how/bas.sh
tml
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Join Forces?
Be realistic! Can you match the submission/evaluation
criteria? If not, consider
(i) consortia or sub-contracting opportunities, identify
potential local, regional or international partner firms to
complement your firm’s strengths (know-how, project
references, key experts)
(ii) engaging external experts/freelancers to satisfy
requirements related to key personnel. EBRD often
welcomes local participation.
(Note, EBRD is not permitted to recommend you!)
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Responding to Procurement Notices and RFP
Packages

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How to Get Started – Assess
Procurement Notices

Search by
Search by sector contract type
- Consultancy
Services
- Corporate goods
works and services
- Project goods,
Search by country works and services

Search Results
- Issue Date
- Deadline
- Country
- Notice Title
- Sector
- Notice Type

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Basics (1)
Be pragmatic when drafting EoI or proposal
(1) Main objective is not to carry out the
assignment in the EOI/ technical proposal
(2) Main objective is to address the requirements
as per procurement notice or Request for
Proposal package and to be awarded the contract

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Basics (2)
l Carefully assess submission requirements /
evaluation criteria as per procurement notice
(i) Procurement Rules (e.g. conflict of interest?)
(ii) Eligibility (tied or untied funding?)
(iii) Deadlines
(iv) Budget viable?
(v) Specific submission requirements /
evaluation criteria as per notice or Request for
Proposal package?

21


Assess Notice & Evaluation Criteria
l What are the specific submission requirements/evaluation
criteria for EoIs/proposals?
(i) Project references: Previous similar project experience?
Similar budget/duration? Similar services/objectives/ activities?
Similar country/region?
(ii) Key experts/CVs: Relevant previous professional
experience? Language requirements? How many key (!)
experts?
(iii) For proposals: Methodology, comments on Terms of
Reference (“ToR”), work plan
l Pay attention to detail! Is your expression of interest/
proposal responsive?
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“Be Kind to the Evaluators” (1)

(1) The key is to enable the evaluators to
quickly and easily find and assess the
relevant information
(2) Demonstrate, don’t merely assert.
(3) Consider your application from perspective of
evaluation committee. Are you able to easily
assess your firm’s strengths and compliance
with evaluation criteria?
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l Submit documents that are
(i) tailored (adapt your regular standard
documents)
(ii) focussed (all key points/evaluation criteria
addressed?)
(iii) concise (table of content, clear structure &
headlines, easy to assess, short sentences,
use tables instead of running text when
appropriate etc.)
(iv) accessible (submit one pdf-file not many)
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l Key Question: Who is addressee? Who will
evaluate/contract selected firm?
l EBRD or the Client?
l Is addressee “banker, manager of private
company or municipality”?

25


Avoid the Big Don’ts
l Do not add financial offer to EoI (unless otherwise
requested)
l Do not apply if your firm is not eligible (check eligibility
clause in procurement notice)
l Do not submit late
l Do not liaise with EBRD/Client after publication of notice
(apart from requests for clarifications via instructions)
l Do not stay silent on conflict of interest
l Do not include experts/subcontractors who are not
genuinely available

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What to aim for

l Convince the evaluators that you are someone
they can work with. EOIs/Proposals well written
and internally consistent.
l Show that you can be flexible and reliable.
l Remember that quality is always paramount for
the Bank. Better a good proposal than a cheap
one.

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Format and Content of
Expressions of Interest and
Proposals

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The EOI

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Drafting an Expression of Interest –
Typical Requirements

l Firm Profile
l Relevant Experience
l Available Experts
l Other Requirements
l What NOT to include

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EOI: Firm Profile

Consultant’s structure: are you
l Sole operator (individual or firm)
l Firm + sub-contractors
l Consortium (lead + consortium members)

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EOI: Consortium / subcontracting

Characteristics
l Sub-contractors: not directly liable to the
contracting authority, only to the main consultant
l Consortium members: structure, without legal
personality distinct from that of its members by
which all members are severally and jointly liable
to the contracting authority

32


EOI: Consortium / subcontracting

l Importance: Section 5.5 b), PP&R (underlying
principle is that multiple applications are grounds
for disqualification)
l A sub-contractor may appear in multiple EOIs /
Proposals; however
l A firm can be either lead consultant or consortium
member in only one EOI / Proposal
l Can be grounds for disqualification
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EOI: Consortium / Subcontracting

l If multiple firms in one EOI – indicate clearly lead
consultant, consortium members, subcontractors
l Ensure that your subcontractors know the rules (if
your subcontractor appears as a consortium
member for another shortlisted firm, you could be
disqualified)
l Contact sheet provided by EBRD with every
procurement notice
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EOI: Relevant Experience

l Technical, geographical, contextual
l Technical: e.g. “FIDIC Engineering missions”
l Geographical: e.g. “Former CIS”
l Contextual: e.g. “economies in transition from
planned economy to market economy”

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EOI: Relevant Experience - Content

l No compulsory template
l Indication who were the contracting parties (client,
consultant) in your previous contracts. What was your role
(lead, consortium, subcontractor)?
l Timeframe, value, input
l Substantive experience (e.g. engineering firm: preliminary
studies / feasibility study / design / project supervision /
supervision on behalf of third party)
l EBRD does not require formal certificates of completion
36


EOI: Experts’ CVs

l No compulsory template at EOI stage
l Identity of expert (name, nationality)
l Education, employment history
l Relation with consultant
l Relevant skills / experience should be
emphasized.

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EOI: Experts’ CVs

l Availability of listed experts
l Required experts: listed in procurement notice
l Additional experts: at consultant’s discretion (but
stay focussed)

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EOIs: Additional Requirements

l Eligibility Criteria (e.g., nationality requirements;
licensing requirements)
l Eligibility criteria can effect lead consultant,
consortium members and sub-contractors, unless
otherwise specified (e.g., nationality) or can be
met by one member only (e.g., some licensing
requirements)

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EOIs – What not to include

l Detailed methodology or work plan
l Financial information (fee rates, overall cost)

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Proposals

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Technical Proposals

l Experts
l Work Plan and Methodology
l Resource Allocation

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Technical Proposals - Experts

l Experts’ CVs
l Can be different from experts proposed at EOI
stage (but preferably additional).
l Key Experts: absolute requirement (absence can
lead to disqualification)
l Other experts: only list experts with a significant
contribution to the assignment
43


Technical Proposals: Experts

l Key Experts need to meet the minimal
requirements sent out in RFP package (seniority,
academic and professional background)
l General eligibility requirements (e.g., nationality)
need to be met by experts as a whole
l Specific eligibility criteria (e.g., surveyor licenses
in country of operation) need to be met by
relevant experts only

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Technical Proposal: Work Plan and
Methodology

l Response to the Terms of Reference (ToR)
l Analysis of requirements, identification of the
requirements, response.
l Consider: Objective-oriented or Task-oriented
ToRs?

45


Technical Proposal: Work Plan and
Methodology

l Objective-oriented ToR: greater variance in
methods and approach
l Task-oriented ToR: less discretion for consultant
l Do the TOR contain scope for flexibility e.g. latter
phases dependant on earlier findings?
l Consultant-proposed variants to TOR: not
prohibited, but compliant technical proposal is
required
46


Technical Proposal: Resource Allocation

l Work plan – allocation of experts’ time and other
resources
l Experts listed in technical proposal need to be
available to perform the assignment

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Technical Proposal: Queries and
Clarifications

l RFP 1 will contain deadline for submission of
requests for clarifications
l Contacting the Bank and/or the Client

48


Financial Proposal – Components

l Fees of experts
l Per diem (lump sum to cover cost of consultant’s experts
working outside regular place of work; UNDP or EU rates)
l Reimbursable expenses
o Travel Costs (international, local)
o Miscellaneous (assignment-related communications,
translation, interpreters, visa)

49


Financial Proposal – evaluation tool

l Lump-sum / Time-Based
l The Financial Proposal forms: financial proposal
form; breakdown of costs. Contains the total price
proposed by the consultant.
l Evaluation of financial proposal: on basis of total
price
l Remember 80:20 technical: financial is typical
l No conditional FPs! 50


Financial Proposal

l Exclusive of indirect taxes (e.g.: Sales tax, Value
Added Tax), unless indicated otherwise
l If indirect taxes are due (consultant to determine),
separate estimate of the indirect taxes

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How to contact us
l Project enquiries (existing EBRD projects only)
Tel: +44 20 7338 6372 / fax: +44 20 7338 7848
l Business Development and project proposals
Tel: +44 20 7338 6372 / fax: +44 20 7338 7848
l General enquiries
Tel: +44 20 7338 6629/ fax: +44 20 7338 6101
l Procurement opportunities
Via website: www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement.shtml
l Publications
Tel: +44 20 7338 7553 / fax: +44 20 7338 6102
l Consultancy Services Unit
Steven Gillard +44 7338 7834/ fax +44 20 7338 7451
gillards@ebrd.com

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Questions?

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